Mountain Qingchengshan

Qingchengshan
Mountain (Qingchengshan) is one of the ancient cradles
of Daoism. The mountain has numerous Daoist temples
and sites along the paths to its peak. The area is green
all year round and is known for its secluded tranquility.

Jianfu Temple (Jianfu
Gong) sits at the base of the mountain
and is a large, well-preserved Daoist
temple from the Tang Dynasty. About
halfway up the mountain sits Tianshi
Cave (Tianshi Dong) the temple and
school of Zhang Daolin, a famous Daoist
master who taught here and contributed
greatly to spreading Daoism in China.
The present Tianshi Cave buildings
were built at the end of the Qing
Dynasty. Lastly, near the peak sits
Shangqing Temple, which was originally
established in the Jin Dynasty, while
the current temple buildings are Qing
Dynasty constructions.

How
to get Qingchengshan mountain: The mountain is 65km
west of Chengdu, and is a good option for a long day
trip from the city. Buses leave Chengdu from the north
bus station every half-hour until 5pm daily. Buses also
leave from the Ximen bus station every morning from
7am to 10am. The fares for the bus should be around
RMB10. You can also catch an RMB3 minibus to Qingchengshan
from Dujiangyan.
Where to stay: Although Qingchengshan
can be a day trip from Chengdu, it
is also relaxing to climb part of
the way, stay along the mountain trail
at Jianfu Temple, Tianshi Cave, or
Shangqing Temple, and then climb to
the peak in the morning and enjoy
the sunrise. Most accommodation should
cost around RMB15 or RMB30 for an
attached bath room. You may be politely
shepherded toward RMB100 doubles,
which may better suit your sensibilities
if you are not on a backpacker's budget.